You may think that social media marketing is a field that has already been dominated by the big guys, which therefore doesn't leave room for any small fry like your business. With all the brands promoting their ware on just about every platform - Facebook, Twitter Instagram, LinkedIn, and even nowadays, Tiktok, it seems that there is not a lot of space for small and medium businesses to thrive. So, you might think that for small businesses to spend their already limited resources to a marketing venture that does not really guarantee any return is not a good decision after all. The thing is, it can also be argued that small businesses will be missing out (by how much, is subjective) if they don’t invest in a social marketing strategy as well. Why? Marketing in social media platforms has become more of a “necessary evil” these days because this is where most consumers are these days. You will not find customers reading newspapers or looking at posters and billboards on bus stops or the subway. Everybody is home for fear they might catch the virus that has been killing people, mindlessly scrolling their social media feeds, and undertaking hours-long Netflix marathons. So, if your business isn’t advertising on social media, it is no exaggeration that you are truely missing out. But how can an upcoming business with humble resources play and thrive in the arena of social media marketing? Here are some suggestions: Get SMART with your socmed marketing When I say SMART, we are not just talking about smart as in sensible, but SMART as in the acronym for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely. As you are a small business, you need to be very deliberate about your social media marketing efforts, and using this SMART framework will help you in being successful in that respect. As your business is still up and coming, you need to be realistic and strategic on what you expect out of marketing your biz on socmed. If you are setting your sights on increasing brand awareness, a healthy engagement with your following, and lead generation, then you are on your way to your SMART goals.
Get picky with your socmed marketing Remember the last time you ate in a buffet-style restaurant? You do not eat all dishes in a buffet spread. It is practically impossible and quite disgusting to make it your goal to have a bite of each item unless you have the goal of getting a serious case of indigestion. This goes the same with social media marketing for small businesses. First, a reality check: you cannot afford to have a presence on them all because you don't have gazillions on your marketing budget. Second, Not all your intended audience is on all social media platforms. After you've set SMART goals for your marketing efforts, know which platform your audience uses and strategize how to best reach out to them using that (or those) platforms. Spread your bets in three platforms the most; the most important thing to remember is to not spread yourself too thin by investing on all platforms available or you will run the risk of not being successful in any single platform.
Get diverse in socmed marketing A common mistake among businesses with social media marketing is that they usually fall off the wagon when it comes to relevance. This is because customers, especially those who follow social media accounts of brands, can get bored when social media marketing efforts of these businesses stay on one note and do not get on with the times. This is not to say that your business should jump on every trendy hot topic that comes, but the key to continuous relevance in the social media world is for content to be varied (consider videos, long-form blog posts, infographics, not just a text posts each and every single time) and if your brand's personality and voice allow, relate to the news of the day. Your audience will feel that your social media is always current and never stale, so they will keep on following you.
Digital marketing need not be a big business-exclusive venture. Partner with us and we will take your social marketing capabilities to the next level. Yes, You Can Join the Big Boys on Social Media Marketing was originally published to ASGM from https://www.allsystemsgomarketing.com/social-media/yes-you-can-join-the-big-boys-on-social-media-marketing
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Probably one of the most uncertain things a small business owner can think about is a digital marketing budget. A discussion of this may most likely earn looks of confusion among budding entrepreneurs. Questions and reactions such as "Is that really necessary?", "Should that be included in the general marketing budget?", and "I definitely don't have that" will most likely be present. Most small and medium business (SMB) founders think that a specific amount of funds earmarked specifically for social media marketing is something that only large businesses can afford, and therefore, can have. The thing about our current situation now is that social media marketing would account for the biggest marketing item companies would spend on. After all, not a lot of opportunities for events, print ads, and outdoor advertising are available for marketers to pour money on, which leaves us with online marketing, with an emphasis on social media. Besides, that's where the public is in these "stay at home" times. With everyone spending countless hours on social media, it is very wise to mindfully strategize and establish a budget particularly for social media. Note the cost of advertising The primary reason for advertising or marketing on social media is to generate leads for future customers. So, the question now is, how much will acquiring one customer cost? With this question's guidance, you can then be led to how many customers you can expect with the money you are willing to spend. You may check this through Google's Keyword Planner, which will give you information on the average cost per click on the keywords your business is searched on that will most likely become customers from mere web browser users. If your targeted keywords cost a low CPC, it means that you can get results even with a small budget. But if your CPC is high, as in at least $10 and above, then prepare to shell out more if you are serious in upping your social media marketing game.
How much do you earn per customer? Another method of getting a feel of how much your social media marketing budget should be is by looking at revenue per customer, or in layman's terms, how much you will earn for every person you've converted into a customer through your marketing efforts. If you have a low revenue per customer figure, then you will need to look for cheap ways to get these customers. On the flip side, if you will be earning lots of money from every customer you get, then you will be expected to shell out more on customer acquisition through socmed marketing and still recover your cost / have a good ROI. Obviously, the goal here is related to the earlier point - a lower cost per acquisition (CPA). If it takes only a few dollars to get a customer, then the value of that customer increases as the revenue you got is above the cost you spent to acquire him/her.
How much are you spending versus your total earnings? Answering this question will allow you to assess with a level head how much you need to spend based on your company's size. Take note that most marketers from around the world set aside an average of 8.6% of their revenues for social media marketing. If you want higher growth, you may consider following their example, as it has been seen that companies with lower growth tend to underspend on socmed advertising.
Getting expert advice for your digital marketing efforts need not be expensive as well. Get in touch with us and we'll help you strengthen your social media marketing strategies within your budget. Setting a Social Media Marketing Budget for Your Up and Coming Business was originally published on ASGM Blog from https://www.allsystemsgomarketing.com/social-media/setting-a-social-media-marketing-budget-for-your-up-and-coming-business La Mesa, CA-based HVAC digital marketing firm All Systems Go Marketing recently uploaded a video to YouTube that explores a concept very few HVAC companies even consider during what the industry terms as the "shoulder season" - hiring new employees. In the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning business, so called "Shoulder Months" are the times of the year when outdoor temperatures are typically quite people friendly and are between 40 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. For many HVAC companies, particularly those that obtain new customers via old school methods such as the Yellow Pages, referrals and word of mouth, Shoulder Season is a tough time each and every year. This is typically when HVAC business revenues shrink, work is less frequent, and many midsized companies have difficulties maintaining work schedules for their employees. "Talking to HVAC company owners during this period always makes me realize that there are both haves and have-nots in the industry," said Craig Wright, owner of All Systems Go Marketing, which has been providing digital marketing solutions since 2001. "The have-nots tend to worry a lot about where their next job is coming from and if they can keep on their best employees. It's super common." The have-nots, says Wright, all share a single trait - no cohesive strategy to attract new customers and a real lack of consistent marketing. "It's always funny to me that the shops that are the running overtime all summer just absolutely limp through their fall season as if this is an annual necessity," said Wright. "The fact is, there is absolutely no reason why sales should drop off come fall and spring. If you're prepared, it can actually turn out to be the most surprising profit generator of the year." For most HVAC companies, hiring during the Shoulder Season is just simply not considered. But, as Wright notes in a recent episode of The All Systems Go Marketing HVAC Coffee Break, smart HVAC owners need to open their eyes precisely at the time when others are closing theirs. "If you talk to almost any HVAC owner about hiring new techs and installers during Shoulder Season, you're likely to get laughed at," said Wright. "But All Systems Go Marketing clients rarely experience the ups and downs that other shops do, and consider this part of the year to be a gold mine when it comes to bringing on new skilled help." It's a classic contrarian move that works wonders. Many shops fail to plan for Shoulder Season and as a result find that layoffs and shorter work weeks are sometimes unavoidable. Meanwhile, smart HVAC companies begin recruiting when good people are let go. It's a strategy that isn't very well known. "Another key point here is that when you have to bring on a new hire, Shoulder Season is perfect because it's a lot slower paced than during the summer," said Wright. "The smart HVAC owner has more time to train and get to know new hires, and to monitor their progress. Plus if things don't work out with the new employee, they can move on and not find themselves with an instant work backlog." All Systems Go Marketing also provides its clients with recruiting campaigns that have proven to be surprisingly effective. When it comes to hiring, one HVAC company's crisis truly becomes another company's opportunity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJ3JB2pK3IY "Strong HVAC companies understand that digital marketing is the number one killer of lumpy, inconsistent sales during the shoulder season," said Wright. "A month after we begin working for any company, they immediately see that this form of marketing is easily the best return on investment available. It has a price, but we've been told that the peace of mind it creates is priceless." source https://www.pressadvantage.com/story/39027-all-systems-go-marketing-crushes-hvac-shoulder-season-hiring-myths-in-new-video "Man, THOSE WERE SOME GREAT LEADS I tell you! We did well. And then suddenly, everything went to hell." Everyone has a short term success story with the ol' Advisor. But why are "long term successes" so impossible to find with this company? Now, certainly not everybody is going to have issues with HomeAdvisor. There are certainly some areas in which an HVAC owner, provided he or she has an excellent sales person on hire, can make a good return. That means each lead must not only be paid a high price for, but also that each lead will contain automatic competition, sometimes along the lines of 4-5 competitors, but in more competitive markets, that can go up to 9-10 and even more. In the end, gaining consistency in an HVAC business is exactly what this is about. Without a consistent appointment flow, company owners can become stuck, unable to plan for the next quarter, and doing unfortunate things like laying off employees. Call us to book a chat today. A Contractor’s Nightmare: The HomeAdvisor Bait & Switch was first published to All Systems Go Marketing from https://www.allsystemsgomarketing.com/digital-marketing/a-contractors-nightmare-the-homeadvisor-bait-switch La Mesa, CA-based All Systems Go Marketing recently published a blog post titled ‘Get Some Diversity in Your Online Marketing Efforts.’ The blog post discusses how diversifying a business’ marketing efforts can have positive effects on the extent of their outreach. Over time, digital marketing has changed in a number of ways, and many businesses have found new strategies that work especially well for them. Most businesses choose to stick to strategies that they have found to be effective but, according to All Systems Go, implementing a diverse set of strategies can yield positive results. source https://www.pressadvantage.com/story/38813-local-seo-agency-publishes-new-blog-post-on-diversity-in-online-marketing Warning: Your marketing department can stop your HVAC business from succeeding. You might wonder how, when having a marketing department is a necessary function for your business, as it makes more people aware of your existence. Actually, it's not marketing efforts that may derail you, but how your department or team is structured. For one, industries these days move fast, so you need the right people with the most applicable skills to succeed in marketing. If it turns out that your marketing team is composed of people that do not have your business' interest as a priority and are not updated with the best marketing practices, you are most probably wasting a lot of money in misguided efforts and salaries. Unfortunately, some organizations are ill-prepared for these constant changes. If they do catch up, they may do so late, which costs their businesses. Structures also need to be constantly updated to scale. Your team needs the right skills, should be organized for maximum success and efficiency and needs to know how to use the best tools and software to aid their success. Ultimately, you need the right people with the right skills. The question now, is are you ready to turn your marketing team into a lean, mean, effective machine? Assembling a team for small businesses This article wouldn’t be much of a problem for large businesses, even if they are also suffering in today’s pandemic. For one, they have a steady stream of resources that do not get easily depleted even in the midst of economic downturns like this. Of course, they would need to do some adjustments like downsizing, but the nature and size of their businesses would still require them to have a sizable marketing team, not to mention that they can afford a larger headcount. On the other hand, small businesses don’t really have the luxury of starting off with a large team. At the start, the already need to be practical of only hiring people that they find necessary to roll out successful marketing programs.
What skills do your people need to have? Another must for small businesses in assembling their marketing teams is that they have to be deliberate of what skills their hires Have. It is not wise for small business owners to just hire anyone who claims to have earned a degree from a top business school or have been working with a Fortune 500 company. Marketing specialists for small enterprises need to wear many hats, not to mention that they need to be skilled in various segments of marketing that were not present 10 or even five years ago, such as influencer marketing and social media marketing.
Is it wise for marketing to stay at home? Another facet of marketing teams particularly applicable to the times we are currently immersed in is that like all departments of a business, it is highly recommended that job functions can be done at home. Marketing, especially in the age of social media, can be done anywhere, and not as client- or field-intensive like, for example, sales functions. Thus, it makes sense that marketers can take full advantage of the currently popular WFH trend.
Your business also deserves top-notch digital marketing expertise, so don't hesitate and get in touch with us right away. The following blog post Get Your Small Business the Marketing Team It Deserves Find more on: http://www.allsystemsgomarketing.com/ from https://www.allsystemsgomarketing.com/hvac-seo/get-your-small-business-the-marketing-team-it-deserves Have you executed local digital marketing strategies? If you have, then you are most probably a local business that adheres to its commonly accepted definition - a mom and pop stores "serving the local communities. But actually, it should be noted that local businesses can also exist on a national scale, as big brands like Home Depot or Anytime Fitness actually exist in specific communities. Thus, they would benefit from local digital marketing done right. But it seems that local digital marketing has earned a bit of an unexciting reputation even from those who practice it regularly. All businesses, even small ones, feel the need to execute digital marketing strategies on a national scale, deeming local efforts to be limiting. They usually think that going nationwide with digital marketing will promise more growth for their business. But this could not be falser because a number of businesses, particularly those that provide service, would benefit more with locally-targeted marketing. Why spend more on marketing to an audience hundreds of miles away when your HVAC business caters to the needs of residents and local businesses? That is going to be a lot of wasted money! Here is a reminder of why local digital marketing is something that makes a lot of sense and your business still needs to do well: The importance of local The COVID-19 pandemic, which has done a number on all kinds of businesses, from national to multi-location and local businesses, has only made local marketing competence all the more important, and in fact a critical component of marketing efforts. Why? It is for the obvious reason that customers are not keen on getting products and services that would require them to go out of their houses. Why risk going outdoors and getting sick when you can have everything you want to be delivered to you or just a stone's throw away from your house? Moreover, the recent events have signaled a shift in consumer behavior, with most preferring local businesses. Therefore, efforts in marketing to the community has become more important now, more than ever.
What's the benefit of digital marketing to local? Another behavior common among local businesses is that their ways of doing business have gotten stuck in the mom and pop / friendly neighborhood store kind, that they think that taking their business online and establishing relationships with their online followers is an altogether alien concept. With customers prefer to transact everything online nowadays, local business owners also need to shift to that mentality, including revving up their marketing efforts on the digital realm because that’s where the customers are.
Where can my meager budget take me? Of course, one of the most popular reasons for local businesses to shy away from local digital marketing is the uncertainty of the return of their investment. These businesses are already doubting how far their limited budgets will go in the context of producing tangible positive results.
Are you doing your local digital marketing right? We will show you how it's done! The article Local Digital Marketing: Not Dead; On the Contrary, All the More Important Read more on: All Systems Go Marketing from https://www.allsystemsgomarketing.com/uncategorized/local-digital-marketing-not-dead-on-the-contrary-all-the-more-important All Systems Go Marketing Notes Increasing Popularity of User Generated Content in New Blog Post10/6/2020 All Systems Go Marketing, an SEO company based in La Mesa, CA, that focuses on HVAC businesses, has released a new blog post that takes note of the rising popularity of user generated content (UGC). The article points out that UGC is a worthy alternative for businesses to utilize in their online marketing strategies because customers are always ready to use their smartphones to create videos, photos, blog posts, or stories, and all of these can be gathered by a business who knows how to use it properly. UGC can be included in a business’ marketing plan and an SEO company like All Systems Go Marketing would be able to provide some help. There are important benefits from the use of UGC for online marketing. First is the fact that it is readily available and a business can easily have a large volume of content that they can use. Second, this is content that originates from a wide variety of people with social media accounts. For instance, if the business wants to focus on a specific gender, ethnic background, social status, etc., it is very much possible that the business can find content produced by people who have a similar profile as the target market. Craig Wright, owner of All Systems Go Marketing, explains, “With these benefits UGC provides, it is the right time to look deeper into what UGC opportunities are available so you can use them to your advantage. If you are interested in including UGC for your marketing plans, let our experts help you.” An important source of UGC is social media content. There is a large number of photos and videos shared on social media and a large percentage mention a business or brand. When the business is mentioned in an Instagram post, Facebook post, or a tweet, that is already considered as UGC for that particular business. Another vital source of UGC are reviews and testimonials, which are huge for generating free HVAC leads. Whether these are left by customers on the business’ site or a third-party site like Yelp or Google, they are a very effective type of UGC because they are social proof for the business. Those who read them have a good chance of becoming new customers. Thus, it may be a good idea for a business to request for a comment, review, or testimonial from customers after they have made a purchase or used a service. One way to do this is through a drip campaign that automatically sends out email messages to recent customers after a particular amount of time has passed, to secure their testimonial. And with regards to user generated video content, there are a lot of free video content that can be accessed from social media, such as Facebook Stories, Instagram Stories, and the TikTok videos. Video content has been observed to be effective among social media users. Because a video shows a real person talking excitedly about a product or service, this may convince people who are watching the video to also try the product or service. All Systems Go Marketing may be able to help businesses make use of user generated content in their online marketing campaigns. The company started its operation in 1999 and right from the start up to the present time, they have focused on helping their clients increase their profits. The strategies that they use are based on the most up-to-date Social Marketing research, algorithm analysis, proven search engine performance, and genuine results. In 2015, they had decided to focus their efforts exclusively for the HVAC industry. They have HVAC SEO experts who have industry knowledge and experience who are able to develop campaigns that can substantially improve an HVAC company’s online presence. These are customized HVAC SEO services to ensure that the strategies used are truly fitted to the specific growth requirements of a particular business. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vIN8mxNRg0&t=8s Those who would like to learn more about the use of UGC for online marketing may want to check out the All Systems Go Marketing website, or contact them on the phone, or through email. source https://www.pressadvantage.com/story/38062-all-systems-go-marketing-notes-increasing-popularity-of-user-generated-content-in-new-blog-post 2020 has been relentless in dealing us with blows, one after another. It is an understatement to say that marketing efforts from small businesses have become challenging during this time. Some companies and industries have taken a more severe beating, but the need to reassess the effectiveness of marketing strategies to our much-evolved business landscape does not spare anyone. All businesses, small and large, should take time to recalibrate their efforts and see what is working and what is not, especially since this period has also lessened the revenue of most businesses. We may not have the luxury of having unlimited funds for the implementation of just about any marketing initiative, so we need to think of what works best. But then, many companies have taken the opportunity to test and try new marketing platforms and channels to see if they are better in engaging with their audiences. This is all well and good, especially if these platforms and channels do not require a large financial investment. However, during this time, it also makes perfect sense to strengthen marketing strategies that have been tried, tested, and true and in fact, already have a successful track record to show. What digital marketing strategies are these? Fortify your SMS strategy Mobile phone and smartphone use have definitely increased during this time when connectivity to the outside world can only be achieved virtually. Thus, there has never been a better time for marketers to optimize their strategies in this platform. While it is true that SMS is subject to strict data privacy laws and regulations, marketers should use this to provide customers with timely and important information that would benefit all parties involved. What better way to inform your customers of online promotions on a limited time than through SMS?
Market through video Social media marketing efforts in these times have seen tremendous growth, but the medium that has become phenomenal is video, with Instagram Stories (and now Facebook Stories) and Tiktok taking the lead. What has made videos a booming channel is the participation of customers who can now record relatively good quality videos through their smartphones, which has in turn ushered a golden age of user-generated content.
Up your email marketing game Of course, how can we not mention the granddaddy of all digital marketing platforms? The thing about email marketing is that it has not stagnated. Regular improvements are still being introduced, and if your businesses have been left behind with these developments, it is high time you get updated.
To make sure that your digital marketing strategies are still top-notch, get in touch with us and expert advice is within reach. The post Back to Basics With the Digital Marketing Essentials was first seen on ASGM from https://www.allsystemsgomarketing.com/hvac-seo/back-to-basics-with-the-digital-marketing-essentials All Systems Go Marketing, a digital marketing agency based in La Mesa, CA, has announced that they have recently published a blog post on how HVAC contractors may be able to get free HVAC leads to grow their business. HVAC contractors often depend on word-of-mouth for their marketing. Unfortunately, this means those who are new to the business will not find this marketing strategy to be helpful. The solution may be from Google My Business (GMB), which can be a source of free HVAC leads. To benefit from this, an HVAC contractor will need to sign up for GMB and then get some professional help for digital marketing. For some markets, such as small or rural markets, HVAC contractors don’t even need to be a marketing pro. They just need to be interactive, providing photos, videos and other content to Google. Craig Wright, owner of All Systems Go Marketing, says, “Consider the Google MyBusiness Listing to be as essential for the starting HVAC business as registering your name is. Or as opening up your business bank account. It’s quite easy, and if you have an Android phone, you can do it in five minutes. So get ‘er done, and give us a call if you need help breaking into the Google Maps pack.” He adds, “We custom tailor every Digital Marketing Plan specifically to the customer. We look to your business goals to custom build a program that delivers based on your HVAC company's needs.” All Systems Go Marketing specializes in HVAC business digital marketing. In 2015, they decided to focus exclusively on HVAC, which is the industry where they have had the most success. This also provided them with the benefit of not having to make adjustments every time they need to work for a particular industry. With this focus on just one industry, they were able to gain more successes and their reputation as an SEO company for HVAC businesses grew in both the United States and Canada. And with All Systems Go Marketing, HVAC contractors will be paying for performance, unlike other SEO firms who require a substantial upfront fee. Instead, they will examine the HVAC website and situation of the contractor and provide a real assessment of what can be done. They will then provide an upfront cost that is relatively small because they plan to maintain relationships with their clients for an average of three years or more. And they also believe in accountability. They don’t offer long-term “locked-in” contracts to clients, which means clients can simply walk away at any time, without any consequence. The company has HVAC SEO specialists who have the appropriate experience and knowledge regarding the industry. Thus, they are able to develop online marketing campaigns that will really work to improve the specific HVAC contractor’s online presence. They don’t provide one-size-fits-all solutions but performance-driven campaigns that ensure clients will see the impact of what solid SEO can do for the business. The result of their customized HVAC SEO management process is that they have been able to drive more than 1 million leads since the business was established in 2001. That is equivalent to more than $1.5 billion revenues for their clients. To kick-start an SEO campaign for a client, a dedicated SEO consultant will be assigned to a particular client who will do an intensive research about the business or brand and the website, including the target keywords for the business. This research will include information about the competitors of the business and the kind of heating and cooling projects that the client considers to be the most rewarding. All of these data will used in developing an effective SEO strategy for the website. Next, All Systems Go Marketing will help the client with regards to website content, offering suggestions, quality content, and professional copy for the purpose of boosting the website’s ranking and overall growth of the brand. They will then proceed with the optimization and then testing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vIN8mxNRg0 Those who would like to get more information about getting HVAC leads may want to visit the All Systems Go Marketing website, their Youtube channel, or contact them through the telephone, or via email. source https://www.pressadvantage.com/story/38482-all-systems-go-marketing-shows-contractors-how-to-get-free-hvac-leads |
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